Britain: Israel’s settlements “illegal under international law”

Britain’s foreign office has condemned Israel’s persistence in expanding settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem, describing them as “illegal under international law.”

“We are concerned by the Jerusalem municipality’s decision to issue a permit for a new four storey building in Silwan, Jerusalem,” a spokesman for the foreign office stated in a press release on Wednesday.

“This is part of a worrying trend in the area, where the settler population is growing while Palestinian residents are being displaced by evictions and demolitions,” he added.

He expressed his government’s concern over the recent Israeli Government approval of an additional £12 million of funding for settlements, saying this Israeli step sent a worrying message to the international community.

“Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace and take us further away from a two-state solution,” he underlined.